- All right, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.
If you're an SEO-driven marketer,
there's nothing more important than copy
when it comes to optimizing for online search.
Not images, not video, not even podcasts.
Pretty crazy.
What's up?
It's Jamal from HubSpot.
Welcome back to the channel.
In this video,
I'm gonna show you 10 SEO copywriting techniques
that pros used to increase organic traffic.
And I'm gonna be including two free tools
that will help you compose like a pro,
even if you're not an expert writer.
And do me a favor.
If you like this video, drop it a "like,"
subscribe to the channel,
and hit the notification bell.
So, first things first.
How can you become an SEO copywriting expert?
Our 10 tips will be divided into two halves.
The first is writing for search to prove SEO.
There's actually very little writing involved
in these first five steps,
but they're essential
to make sure that what you write is in line
with what readers are looking for.
The first thing any professional copywriter does
before picking up a pen or typing on the computer
is to establish primary keywords.
And I'm sure you're thinking to yourself,
uh, Jamal, why can't I just do the fun visual stuff?
Well, Picasso, unfortunately,
while the visual elements are super-fun and engaging,
the algorithms that determine
what content the user finds
are almost 100 percent text-based.
To put it another way,
you gotta make sure that the algos
know how to rhythm your information.
(crowd "boo-ing")
I'm sorry.
So, that info, as I said, is primary keywords.
Imagine your company sells blue-light-blocking glasses
specifically designed for gaming.
Your primary keywords can include: "gaming glasses,"
"blue light blocking glasses for gaming,"
"glasses that reduce eye strain,"
"best gaming glasses."
Take your possible keywords
and test them using an online keyword tool.
Look for keywords that have high search volume
and low-to-medium competition
and include one to three keywords throughout your content,
including title, headlines, intro paragraph,
closing paragraph, and photo captions,
all the places search engines look
when ranking your content.
Of course, most copywriters
can quickly run out of obvious keywords
to cover in new content.
To get over the new ideas hump,
you know what I'm saying,
pros look for new relevant keywords
using Content Gap Analysis.
Start by doing a keyword analysis on your competitor's site.
Then, remove the keywords
that your own site already ranks for.
And you'll be left with all the lists of potential keywords
you've not yet covered.
To help do this analysis,
you can download HubSpot's
Free Search Insights Report template.
There's a link in the description.
Use a headline analyzer
to optimize your headline for search.
There are a variety of free tools
that will help you write a headline
based on your keyword
that catches the attention
of both the search engine and readers.
Start with your primary keyword,
then test variations until you come up
with a title with the highest score.
Think we're done with keywords?
Not quite. We have a long way to go.
Secondary keywords are a great way
to reinforce search optimization
and capture some additional eyeballs.
Imagine the eyeballs are kinda like butterflies.
They're just floating around.
You get a little net, and the secondary keyword is the net.
And you just go...
Boop!
And now you got...
You got eyeballs.
I don't, why are you looking for those?
Jeez.
Of course, this research can actually be pretty easy.
Start typing your keyword into the Google search bar
and look at what auto-complete terms begin to pop up.
Keep track of those secondary keywords
for use once you start writing
and include them where it makes logical sense
in the content.
The last tip that I have for you,
and this one's pretty fire, I'm not gonna lie,
is, look at the "people also ask" section
at the bottom of Google search results page
for your keyword.
Treat any relevant, additional questions
like you do content gaps and secondary keywords,
additional context that you can use
in your writing to shore up SEO.
So, now you're pretty much ready to pick up
the metaphorical pen and start writing,
but I'm sure you're thinking to yourself,
Jeez, Jamal, this pen is still so heavy.
What's going on here?
Well, the last little bit of juice you need
is these next five tips.
That'll give you the...
Boop!
We call these "writing for audience to increase engagement."
This can be done using both technical and tonal systems
for your writing.
Let's start with the technical with tip number six,
the APP method.
APP stand for Agree, Promise, and Preview.
At the very beginning of your writing,
confirm to the reader that the keyword
they search for will give them the results
they're looking for.
If we go back to our gaming glasses example,
we can start by saying,
"wearing the right gaming glasses
will improve your gaming experience
by leveling up your performance."
And listen, if you read that
and you're not down to buy those glasses,
I think you're just not looking
for what we have to sell, frankly.
- This data is wrong every freaking time.
- Have you heard of HubSpot?
HubSpot is a CRM platform
where everything is fully integrated.
- Whoa, I can see the client's whole history,
calls, support tickets, emails,
and here's a task from three days ago I totally missed.
- [Announcer] HubSpot. Grow better.
- Next, you wanna promise the reader
that you'll give them the knowledge
to achieve the results they're looking for.
This is a good chance
to insert some personal experience into the conversation.
I was able to achieve higher scores
and unlock all sorts of cool abilities
once I started using gaming glasses to reduce eye strain.
And finally, preview,
so that readers know what to expect
from the rest of the article.
I'm gonna give you the low-down
on the best gaming glasses available today.
It's important that you begin your writing
with these three elements,
because it functions perfectly
for our next pro tip: the F-Shaped Method.
I'm not sure who is naming this stuff,
but it's been proven to work.
So let's roll with it.
The F-Shaped Method comes from research
that shows that readers skim pages
in a shape that resembles an "F."
Most readers will read the entire top line
or two from left to right.
After that, they'll begin skimming
just the left-hand side of the page.
That's why section breaks with new headlines
are useful for resetting the F shape,
and bullet points or numbered lists
are a great way to convey important info
along the left-hand side.
And if that's not enough to keep track of,
you can also incorporate the AIDA funnel
to lead readers into your desired action.
The A stands for Attention,
which is what the headline is for.
Proven techniques for grabbing readers' attention
include FOMO statements, personalization,
or even good old-fashioned special offers.
Next comes Interest,
which you can use personal stories, statistics,
or acknowledge paying points.
Next comes Desire,
which conveys the benefits the customers will get
if they use your product or service.
A lot of new copywriters confuse benefits
with product features.
The features are the tools that provide the benefits,
but be sure to frame the messaging as benefits first.
And last in the AIDA method is Action.
Never forget to end each of your F shapes
with a CTA that the reader can click
and take them to the next stage of the acquisition funnel.
So, I get it.
Creating key word-conscious, F-shaped, APP-powered
AIDA-method copy is a lot to keep track of.
The good news,
which we could use some of these days,
is that you don't have to start with a blank page
every time they sit down to write.
Professional copywriters use templates
to quickly craft effective content
and help keep all the info on track.
And that's why...
and I think you know where I'm going with this...
I want you to jump down to the video description, all right?
And download HubSpot's free Blog Post Template,
because you deserve all the advantages that pros use
when writing content.
You do.
And if someone says that you don't,
they're not your friend, all right?
Get 'em outta your circle.
Unfriend them on LinkedIn.
Delete 'em off Facebook.
They're not here for what you need.
I'm here for you, though.
And speaking of being here for you,
the last tip that we have
for writing effective and engaging SEO copy,
and it's a pretty fun one.
Tip number 10 is to always keep in mind
the voice and tone of your brand.
The voice of your brand
is the brand's underlying personality,
which always stays the same.
The tone of a brand can change
depending on the circumstances,
but it's always underpinned by the voice.
Like, imagine, like, your good friend, you know what I mean?
Like, you know what their voice sounds like,
the kinds of things that they would say.
That's the kind of thing that you wanna achieve
when you're writing this kind of copy.
This will help make your copy relatable to the reader
no matter the subject matter.
A great example of voice and tone working together
is mailchimp, which uses cultural reference
and dry wit to convey its messaging,
even when the messaging is bad news.
Harley Davidson is also edgy,
but with a slightly aggressive voice,
(growling)
which is perfect for the brand's decades-old reputation
as the motorcycle of outlaws and rebels.
That's why you'll never see me on one
'cause I'm a good boy who follows all the rules.
I've never done even a bad...
not even a bad thing once.
By combining the art of using voice and tone
with the science of SEO-optimized copywriting,
every piece of content you create
will effectively communicate with your readers,
resulting in improved ROIs with every work.
So, if you're ready to dive deeper
into the world of copywriting and SEO,
you already know you can sign up
for HubSpot Academy's free SEO Certification Course.
We give this stuff away for free.
Why do we do that?
We're nuts.
And, as always, check out our videos
on copywriting for Google ads
and explore new AI tools
to make copywriting even easier.
And I'm not even gonna ask you to subscribe.
You know why? 'Cause you probably already are.
And if you aren't...
Why not?
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I got some gamer glasses to go back here.
(chuckling)
You know what I'm saying?
Until next time.
Use a headline analyzer, analyzer, analyzer.
Yes.
Be...
Look for,
look for...
Look through the lizards.